


Sinneswandel

by orphan_account



Category: Ever After High, Ever After High Series - Shannon Hale
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, Mind Control, On Hiatus, Post Way Too Wonderland, Slow Build, mild swearing, mild violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-05-04 15:46:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5339657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Storybook of Legends is gone; the world of Ever After High is safe, and Apple White and Raven Queen have never been closer. But when Raven begins to act strangely - downright evil, in fact - Apple fears that their trip to Wonderland may have had averse effects on her friend. With only her magic and Blondie to help, Apple sets out to save Raven before it's too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Bedrohung

**Author's Note:**

> My first multi-chapter fic! And it's Rapple! Will contain some spoilers to Way Too Wonderland and will probably contradict Dragon Games. Leave a review if you like!

_Aller anfang ist schwer. All beginnings are hard._  


* * *

**Prologue: Bedrohung**  


In the darkest part of the Enchanted Forest, passed the sleeping will-o'-the-wisps and the knotted listening trees; passed the frogs and their lily pads, and the bees and their honey; passed the nests of dragons and the den of a phoenix; there was a lake. This was no ordinary lake, for it was a lake filled with bubbles, and within each smooth bubble laid the reflection of a future that had not yet come to pass.

Any other night, this lake would bubble away, the surfaces of its reflections shifting with the light of the moon. But on this night, there was no moon. On this night, there were no stars. No, for great, billowing black clouds had stretched their way across the land of Ever After at dusk, blotting out the last drops of the beautiful watercolour sunset.

No, tonight, the Enchanted Forest was as dark as the Forbidden Forest. Tonight, something came creeping down from those clouds that was not rain or wind or lightning. No, this something was a shadow. A terrible, infinitely dark shadow that crackled with purple power.

The shadow landed just beyond the lake of future reflections. It dripped its way down the trees, blotting out their knots and leaving them sickly and grey. It slinked its way across the grass, sucking up every ounce of life the plants held. It oozed its way to the lake. And as it passed over the lake, each bubble shattered – frozen and broken all in one instance. Each reflection, each future, each hopeful Happily Ever After was destroyed, and all that was left was "And Then There Were None".

The shadow slipped, unseen, unheard, through the Enchanted Forest, leaving a trail of death and petrification in its wake. It was headed straight for Ever After High.

Beyond the forest, nestled in supposed safety, within one of the dorms of Ever After High, Blondie Lockes sat in her window seat, dressed only in a simple nightgown. Winter was coming, and the chill of the wind through her cracked-open window made her shudder, but she did not move to get her housecoat. Indeed, she did not move at all.

She had awoken some time earlier to an itching between her shoulders and a pounding headache between her eyes. She knew, as sure as she knew her name was Blondie Lockes, what that feeling meant.

Somewhere in Ever After High, something was just not right.

Blondie stared out at the school grounds, allowing her eyes to trail over the bushes and the fountain, the stone pathways and the columns. Each and every single thing was in its proper place, but that did not shake the feeling she felt within her bones. It was instinct, pure and simple, and she would not allow seeming calm to destroy years of sharply honed instinct.

Behind her, Cupid gave a snuffling snore and snuggled deeper into her blankets.

Out in the school yard, there was a lurch of darkness. Blondie peered through the window with narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

For a moment, she saw the thing that had pulled her from sleep. A shadow that was darker than night; a darkness that blotted out not only light, but also all feelings of hope and kindness. It oozed beneath the trees, creeping and crawling toward the fountain.

But it was there for only a moment. When Blondie blinked, it disappeared, and she was left to wonder if there'd been anything there at all.

The feeling in her bones spread to her fingertips. They tingled the way they did around mysteries, burning at her nails without concern to Blondie's safety. A pit formed in her stomach, wrapping itself around what was left of her dinner and stirring nausea in Blondie's stomach.

A sudden wave of dizziness caused Blondie to lean against the window.

"Something's not right," murmured Blondie, pressing a hand to her mouth. The entire world of Ever After tilted around her, impossibly fast and large all at once. She felt the shaking in her body; the heaving in her veins; the entirety of her world building up and up to the point of no return and –

"Blondie." Cupid's voice, a gentle murmur in the upset balance that was Blondie's mind. "Go back to sleep."

Bit by bit, the feelings vanished, until all Blondie was left with was her original bone-tingling instinct. Something was _definitely_ not right in the land of Ever After. She had never experienced a "not right" feeling that intensely before.

But Cupid was right, she should sleep. Tomorrow, she would find Apple and investigate this problem. If anyone would know about the magical happenings of Ever After High, it would be Apple White and Raven Queen. Perhaps, together, they could solve the mystery.

With that, Blondie climbed out of the window and back into her bed. She hoped her exhaustion would overpower her instincts and allow her to sleep for just a little while longer.


	2. Fehlt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who left kudos and comments! I'm glad that y'all are enjoying the story. As I didn't mention it before, I'll say it now: Sinneswandel will update every other Wednesday for the foreseeable future. Any changes will be noted.
> 
> This chapter is a little shorter than my usual fare, but I hope the content and future chapters make up for it.
> 
> If you like the chapter, please leave a comment! They tell me what you're thinking and always make my day.

Morning came quickly for Apple White, who awoke to the morning sunlight streaming through her window and stretching its way across her bed. Apple stretched and sat up in bed, rubbing at her eyes. She blinked them open to find the morning sun streaming in through the window.

"Good morning, Raven," said Apple cheerfully.

There was no response.

Apple looked over to Raven's side of the room and found it was empty. The bed was made, everything was in its place, but Raven was nowhere to be found. Apple frowned.

"She's probably at breakfast," said Apple, absently. She wasn't terribly concerned, but it was unlike Raven to be up so early, and to get ready without waking Apple. Perhaps Apple was rubbing off on Raven and making her more considerate. But then, Raven was pretty considerate to begin with. That was part of why Apple had finally realized Raven would never be the Evil Queen.

Apple hummed as she stood and got ready for the morning. She sang to the birds to get them to help brush her hair, only to find that the birds didn't respond.

"That's odd," said Apple. They must have still been asleep then. It wasn't too early, but then, even birds needed their beauty rest. Apple shrugged to herself and double checked her make-up before heading down to the castleteria.

The hallways were spotted here and there with groups of students, each of which greeted Apple with varying levels of cheerfulness and enthusiasm. Apple greeted them all equally, ensuring that none could claim she held favour of one over another. It wouldn't be properly diplomatic, after all. But, then again, most of these students would never be her subjects. Did it really matter if she treated them all the same? A curious question for her mother, no doubt.

Apple shook off the thought and stepped into the castleteria. The smell of bacon and eggs mixed with syrup and shampoo, creating a blend of smells that was both pleasing and overwhelming all at once.

Taking a tray, some oatmeal, and a bowl of strawberries, Apple took her usual seat with Briar and Holly. Blondie was nowhere to be seen – odd, at this time of day. But Apple assumed she was off getting her next great story for her MirrorCast.

"Good morning, Briar," said Apple. Poppy and Cedar joined them at the end of the table. Apple waved. It was nice to have a combination of all sorts at the breakfast table, something to say that Apple wasn't maintaining her Royal image out of some sort of superiority complex now that the royal and rebel sides had been dissolved.

"Morning, Apple," said Briar, yawning. She blinked heavily, her eyes still heavy and half-closed with sleep. "You seen Blondie?"

Apple shook her head. "Not today, no. I haven't seen Raven either, come to think of it."

"Raven's not a morning person," said Poppy from where she sat. "It's weird for her to be up before us."

Apple nodded. "Indeed, but Raven's been… different, lately."

"How do you figure?" asked Briar.

"She's still Raven, of course," said Apple, hoping not to worry anyone. "But she's been downright distant lately. She doesn't talk as much, and even though we are working on this spelltacular yearbook together, I haven't seen her very much in the last week." Apple sighed and poked at her oatmeal with a spoon.

"I just don't understand why she's avoiding me," said Apple.

Out of the corner of her eye, Apple saw Briar and Holly share a look, but neither said anything. She presumed it was over her – she'd been a bit worrying lately as well, with this fairy single minded want to make the yearbook picture perfect. But surely it wasn't that bad.

"Maybe you should ask her," said Briar, slowly.

Apple nodded. "If I find her, I will," she said. If Raven wasn't in the castleteria, she'd either woken up early enough to have already eaten breakfast, which was incredibly unlikely, or else she'd skipped breakfast entirely. Which, come to think of it, Raven had done a lot lately. It wasn't as though Apple was worried Raven wasn't eating enough – she'd seen the food containers let scattered on Raven's side of the dorm to know that wasn't a problem – but the idea that Raven was purposely avoiding socialization was downright upsetting.

With an inward nod, Apple pushed herself upright and away from the table. She left her tray, marched toward the entrance to the castleteria, and headed outside. If Raven wanted to avoid her, she was in for a big surprise, for Apple White was not one to give up on her friends.

The courtyard was spotted with groups of students, some of them still in their pyjamas, enjoying the morning breeze and sunshine. Apple spotted Hunter and Humphrey amidst them, their arms moving animatedly in whatever discussion they were having. She also spotted Faybelle Thorn, who was in a passionate discussion, or maybe it was an argument, with Farrah Goodfairy. Idly, she wondered what they could possibly have in common, besides being fairies.

Apple trailed her fingers over the smooth marble stone of the fountain. The breeze lifted the misty spray of the fountain to her face. Apple sighed and stopped to lean against the stones. She looked out over the courtyard and let the breeze ruffle her hair in a picture perfect way. If not for Raven's disappearance, this would have been one of the most peaceful days at Ever After in a long time. No fights, no Royal vs Rebel arguments, no people to help or worlds to save.

If Raven had been here, Apple would daresay that everything would have been perfect.

A sudden scream from the forest jerked Apple out of her happy thoughts. The student body of Ever After High turned as one, whispering and gasping to one another.

From the depths of the forest came Ashlynn Ella, running as fast as she could in her new shoes. Hunter ran forward and met her halfway, scooping her into his arms.

Apple ran toward the pair and stopped with a gasp. "What happened?" she asked.

"The animals in the forest," said Ashlynn, her eyes wide. "They're all… gone."

"What?" said Apple, her own expression incredulous. She looked out into the forest and cocked her head to listen. Sure enough, there was no birdsong. Even with the cacophonous sound of her classmates speaking around her, Apple knew that she should be able to hear the birds.

"Are you positive? Perhaps they are all hibernating," said Apple slowly, trying to remain calm and diplomatic.

Ashlynn shook her head quickly. "Positive, Apple. Spelltacularly positive."

Apple remembered earlier, when she'd gotten ready only for the day, only to find that the birds hadn't been around. She assumed, wrongly, that they were simply missing. But she knew now that they were actually missing. It was a mystery, one that Apple didn't like.

"Where could they have gone?" asked Apple, frowning.

"I don't know," said Ashlynn. "I just know that they're gone." She whimpered and pressed her face into Hunter's jacket. "It's just awful!"

From behind Apple came Rosabella Beauty, who seemed to have overheard their conversation on her own way out of the castleteria.

"We need to spread out and make a search party, just like we did before," she said, slapping one fist downward into her open palm. "From there, we should be able to locate the animals."

"And Raven, too," added Apple.

Rosabella raised her eyebrows. "Raven is missing? This can't be a coincidence."

"Fairy godmother, Rosabella!" said Apple, her hands flying to her mouth. "You don't think Raven had anything to do with this, do you?"

Rosabella hesitated long enough for Apple to bristle.

"She is a good person, you were a rebel, when it mattered, so why has that changed?" asked Apple. Her voice was as sharp as the thorns Briar wore on her clothes. "Raven has done nothing but try and help."

Rosabella grimaced. "Raven has been desolate and quiet for weeks. She doesn't speak, she doesn't eat, she doesn't do anything but sit in that library and read." She sighed and adjusted her glasses. "Apple, I know she's your friend, and I believe you think she's a good person, but something is rotten with this whole situation, and Raven's attitude makes me think it could be her."

Apple picked out the word 'library' amidst her growing anger toward Rosabella. In a cold voice, she said, "Raven Queen has done nothing to deserve your mistrust. She saved Wonderland."

"Her magic is out of control," said Rosabella, sharply. A few other students murmured her agreement.

From the depths of the crowd came Humphrey, who said, "Just last week, Raven made my bicycle come alive. It attacked me!"

"And before that, her magic made the plants try and leave the greenhouse," chimed another student.

"And before that," started another, but Apple cut them off.

"Enough." Her voice was a booming command that instantly quieted the crowd. "The animals are missing, that is our priority." No matter how much she wanted to find Raven, Apple knew that was true. Hearing these students talk, she could guess why Raven was isolating herself again. People were still scared of her, perhaps more so after hearing about what happened with Courtly Jester and the book of dark magic in Wonderland.

"Agreed," said Rosabella. "Everyone split up and take a section of the grounds. We'll all meet up in an hour to discuss what we've found. We need to find those forest animals, without them, the ecosystem of Ever After won't hold up."

The group broke up and took off, each running off in other directions. Blondie Lockes joined Apple White as the two headed toward the book ball field.

"Apple, I…," Blondie trailed off, looking sheepish.

"What is it?" asked Apple, her gaze flicking from the school grounds to Blondie and back again. Where could those forest animals be?

"I think I know what took the animals," said Blondie, slowly.

That stopped Apple in her tracks. She spun around to face Blondie with wide eyes and parted lips.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" asked Apple.

Blondie grimaced. "I don't know for sure, it's just a feeling."

"Your feelings are usually pretty accurate," Apple pointed out. "What do you know?"

"Last night, I woke up to a bad headache and a feeling of 'not right'. When I looked outside, I saw a strange purple energy. It was almost like magic." Blondie twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "I only know one person here with purple magic."

Apple sighed. Her entire body deflated with the sound. "So do I," she said. "Blondie, I think we need to find Raven. I don't want to believe Rosabella is right, but the only way to prove Raven is innocent is to find her and find out what she's been up to."

"Agreed," said Blondie, nodding.

"Besides, I want to find out what that purple energy was. If anyone knows magic, it's Raven Queen. She'll have the answers we need," said Apple.

With that, the two headed back toward the school and toward the library, where Rosabella had said Raven was spending all of her time. It was time to get answers, Apple thought, no matter what they were.


	3. Unhörbar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two days late but here it is! If you like the chapter, please leave a comment.

There was no sign of Raven in the library. Apple and Blondie stood in the entrance, staring at the long expanse of tables for several seconds before checking the various aisles. When both of them turned up empty-handed, they were forced to admit that Rosabella had been wrong, and no one really knew where Raven was. That, more than the disappearance of the animals, bothered Apple. Raven was often hiding away from everyone, as of late, but she had never disappeared before. Especially not before breakfast.

As they left the library, Blondie stumbled and pressed a hand to her mouth. She grimaced and leaned against the wall. Her usual rosy complexion went pale, and a bruised tint lingered beneath her eyes.

"Blondie, are you okay, sweetie?" asked Apple. Her fingers grazed Blondie's cheeks and lifted the other girl's gaze to her own.

Blondie managed a weak nod. "Something is wrong in Ever After," said Blondie, swallowing hard. "We need to find out what." Blondie grimaced again, no doubt from something she could sense, and kept her gaze firmly locked somewhere over Apple's left shoulder.

Apple nodded and tucked Blondie's hair back into place where it had fallen. She helped Blondie to stand up straight and took a long look at Blondie's pale and somewhat bruised face. As they stood, Blondie started to get her colour back, but she was far from looking like the next Goldie Lockes, like Apple was used to her looking.

Apple sighed and looked up at the sky, where thick clouds were gathering overhead again. Somewhere grey, some black, but most were the colour of bruises – a sickly green, yellow, and purple combination that made Apple feel faintly ill.

"We need Raven," said Apple. "She understands magic."

Blondie looked at her. "You think this is magic related?" she asked. The bruises beneath her matched the ones in the sky.

"It has to be," said Apple, glancing back up to the clouds. A faint, ominous feeling tickled the air. The kind of electricity that came when she had knew the balance of good and evil had been upset. It was a trick her mother had picked up long ago. "What else could cause everything else to be so un-hexcellent?"

Blondie frowned. "Let's find Raven."

The two circled back around the buildings, peering through windows and asking many of the students they found if anyone had seen Raven Queen in the last few hours. Responses ranged from a simple no, to comments about how they hadn't seen Raven much, if at all, in days/weeks/a month.

As Blondie and Apple continued their search, Apple found herself growing more and more worried about her roommate and BFFA. Had Raven really secluded herself so much since they'd all gotten back from Wonderland? Apple knew that Raven was avoiding her, but she hadn't realized Raven was avoiding everyone.

She wondered if Raven was avoiding all of their friends as well. If Cedar and Briar and Cerise saw Raven as little as Apple did.

Something had happened to Raven in Wonderland. Something more than gaining her mother's magic and being pulled back from the brink of evil by Apple's pleas and bargaining. That magic hadn't remained with Raven, as far as Apple could tell, but then, Raven had kept to herself outside of the yearbook work. Would Apple have noticed if she had?

Before long, they had circled around to the entrance to the Forbidden Forest. Blondie scanned the courtyard while Apple collected her thoughts.

While she was trying to collect herself, she caught sight of an odd leaf in a nearby tree. Apple moved closer to the leaf and plucked it from the tree. It was dark – not black, but purple – and sickly looking. When she checked, Apple saw that much of the tree was the same. And so was the one behind it. And the bush behind that. Apple dropped the flower with a soft gasp.

"Blondie?" called Apple over her shoulder, concern making her voice quaver.

"What is it?" asked Blondie, jogging over to her.

Apple pointed into the forest. "Maybe that's what you felt that's not right," she said.

Blondie nodded. "We should check."

"Agreed," said Apple. But even as she said it, Apple felt her resolve waver. There was something sinister lurking in the forest. A feeling of dread that lingered beneath her skin and traced her spine. She didn't like it. She wished Raven was here. Raven was brave and strong about these sorts of things, nothing sinister scared Raven. It just made her more determined.

"Whatever is in that forest has to be what made the animals disappear," said Apple. Her voice was strong, but her stance was not. She fought the urge to step back, to disappear into the school and pretend that everything was okay. But she was a princess. And she was a Royal. And she was Raven's friend. If the animals and Raven were connected, then so too was this purple ooze that seemed to be killing the forest.

"Should… should we go in?" asked Blondie, peering into the forest. She was frowning, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed. "Something feels very not right about all this, and we aren't… we aren't knights or warriors, Apple." Blondie took a step back from the forest. "Perhaps we should get Daring, or Sparrow."

Apple couldn't fight the scowl that lifted to her lips and darkened her expression. _Daring._ Because Daring could solve everything. And she couldn't understand why she was so annoyed. When Daring had stopped being part of her Happily Ever After and became a nuisance instead.

"We should check," said Apple. "If Raven is in there, it could be too late by the time we find a prince." Apple grabbed Blondie's arm, now filled with determination. "Come on."

Together, the two clambered over the broken and dead bushes and into the forest.

They followed the stain of purple that streaked the forest in death. Apple studied the purple closely as they walked. It was a deep purple, close to black, with a lighter purple overtop, lacing through it with either spots or stripes. Some plants still had some green to them, but the flowers had been completely overtaken. There were no more reds or pinks or blues in this part of the forest, just the occasional brush of green or brown or yellow.

"This isn't ominous at all," murmured Apple. She pressed her lips tightly together, trying not to frown. The purple was too familiar. But she couldn't place why. There was something just out of reach about those colours. They were wrong for Raven, she knew that much. But she felt she should have known what the colours were.

"Nope," agreed Blondie, her voice equally dripping in sarcasm.

The two glanced at each other uneasily. Here, the purple had creeped into the birds' nests and the squirrel knolls. The toxic bright colour had slithered down into the fox holes and ground homes. There, the speckled purple looked more like a splash of fallen paint, or perhaps something more sinister. And there were other places, ones Apple dared not look too closely at, where the purple had seemed to create new images. Words, perhaps, of things Apple wasn't sure she wanted to know.

She caught the tail of end a phrase marked as "happily never after" and a great shiver worked its way up her spine. Apple shuddered and look away from it.

"Don't read anything," said Apple.

Blondie whimpered, then, she said, "What _is_ all of this?"

"I don't know," said Apple. And she didn't, though she felt she should have. It lingered, just beneath the surface, tickling at her brain without ever making itself known. Like the answer was trapped in an ivory tower and she sat on the horse below, calling for it to let down its hair, only to be met with silence.

"Purple," said Blondie. "You don't think…" She trailed off.

"No," snapped Apple, her voice rising several pitches. Then, seeing Blondie's expression, she swallowed hard and tried to bring her voice back to normal. "It's the wrong shade." Those words came out a hoarse whisper, just as much an attempt to convince herself as Blondie.

She thought, briefly, that Blondie probably realized as much, because Blondie didn't say anything else while they walked.

Before long, the girls came across a makeshift path in the forest. It was marked with broken branches and torn out parts of bushes, and the ground below was marked with footprints. Apple found a piece of pale purple fabric clinging to one of the few alive bushes.

"Blondie!" she called, and Blondie ran the last three steps to Apple. Apple showed Blondie the fabric.

"Is that…?" Blondie trailed off again, but Apple knew. It was Raven's housecoat, or a piece of it, at least. Raven had been here. She'd been amidst the purple plague that tainted the forest. She'd travelled through the forest seeing it.

 _Or maybe she hadn't, maybe she_ did _do it._ But Apple shook off the thought as soon as it reached her.

Together, Blondie and Apple followed the makeshift path deeper into the forest. Before long, there was a break in the tree line. Apple picked up her pace, leaving Blondie behind as she ran for the break in the trees. Just beyond them, she could see _something._

"Apple!" called Blondie, but Apple paid her no heed. Instead, she forced herself to go even faster, despite her high heels and the uneven terrain.

She broke through the trees and into a small clearing. A gasp split her lips before she could stop it.

The grass was purple and tainted, half of it dead. The trees were splattered with the purple as though it had been thrown at them. Great vines split the ground where Apple walked, also a deep, dark purple.

And there, in the centre of it all, was Raven Queen. Fallen and unconscious in her torn house coat, her nightgown, and nothing else.

"Raven," breathed Apple, one hand flying to her mouth in horror. The vines were wrapped around Raven's wrists and ankles, pinning her to the ground.

Apple ran forward and fell to her knees next to Raven. Behind her, Apple heard Blondie gasp.

"Help me!" Apple called over her shoulder. She heard the thump-thump of Blondie's heels on the grass, and then Blondie was dropping to her knees beside Apple.

"We need to get these vines off of her," said Apple. The two women tore at the vines around Raven's wrists and ankles. It took a great deal of pulling, but they managed to get her free.

Apple scooped up Raven's head and patted her cheek a few times.

"Raven?" called Apple. "Raven, please, wake up." Apple knew that, if they needed to, they could carry Raven out of here, but she wasn't sure she and Blondie could do it without touching the purple all around them. Already, the vines they'd torn had cut deeply into her hands. Angry red lines split her palms and left red marks on Raven where Apple touched her.

Then, Raven's eyes opened.

It was a slow, painful movement, but they opened.

"Raven!" cried Apple, grinning down at her friend, though the concern still bled through into her eyes and her tone.

"Apple?" Raven's voice was hoarse. She pressed a hand to her head and tried to sit up. Apple supported her as the two moved in unison.

"Are you okay?" asked Apple.

Raven nodded, though it seemed a weak and largely forced gesture. "Where am I?" asked Raven.

"In the Enchanted Forest. It's… not doing so great," said Blondie.

"Totally unhexcellent," said Apple, still distracted in her checking over of Raven. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Fine," said Raven, waving off Apple. Then, she seemed to see the vines for the first time. And the purple as well.

Raven screamed. Scrambled back a few inches. Saw the vines all around her and screamed again. Her already pale skin grew even paler. Purple flames licked across her shoulders and shot down into the grass, torching the vines in the immediate area. They withered and died.

"Raven," said Apple, grabbing her shoulders. The flames died as Apple grabbed Raven. "You're okay, you're safe, what's going on?"

Raven trembled as she stared at the vines. "That's… that's Sleeping Beauty magic…."

"What?" asked Blondie. Apple and Blondie glanced at each other.

Raven swallowed hard and took a deep, trembling breath before she spoke again. "The vines are part of the Evil Fairy's magic. The magic my mother _stole_ when she took over the story." Raven stared at Apple with wide, terrified eyes.

"That's my mother's magic. She's escaped the mirror prison. She's here at Ever After High."


	4. Verlernen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're gearing up into the action, but I promise you, this story is far from over!
> 
> Comments and constructive feedback are welcome!

The walk back to the school was long and tedious. Apple and Blondie struggled to help Raven, who was limping terribly, due to their own injured hands. They were still bleeding sluggishly, despite the makeshift bandages made from their shawls, and the strange purple colour was slowly spreading across their palms. Apple was worried. Blondie looked nauseated. Raven stumbled along with them.

Before long, they managed to get back to the courtyard, where Darling Charming and Rosabella Beauty immediately ran up to the girls. They gasped at the appearances of the three and helped them up to the infirmary. Cerise was called upon to grab the headmasters and teachers, which she did as quickly as she could.

Up in the infirmary, Momma Bear set to work on tidying up the wounds of Apple and Blondie, while also checking Raven's swollen ankles and blistered heels.

"It looks like you walked for hours, my dear, barefoot," said Momma Bear. Raven said nothing. She kept her head bowed.

"Do you remember anything from last night, Raven?" asked Apple.

Raven said nothing. Nor did she move.

Momma Bear put Raven's feet in a soak and started on bandaging the various cuts and scrapes on Raven's legs. Still, Raven said nothing.

In fact, Raven hadn't said anything since she'd said her mother was back. A fact that did not escape Apple. Apple frowned and stared down at her properly bandaged hands. The purple was fading but the marks did not. Not even magic was healing these wounds, which further proved that Raven had been right. Only Evil Fairy magic could cause this much harm through thorns, and only Evil Queen magic could prevent the wounds from healing anyway but slowly and naturally. The combination of the two only existed in Raven's mother, a fact most people knew at this point.

"What do we do?" asked Blondie. Apple looked up to see Blondie staring at her with wide, terrified eyes. This entire time, Apple had been working on instinct, on the want to do what was right and find Raven. Now that they were in the infirmary and had Raven – even if Raven was basically catatonic – Apple wasn't sure what to do.

Thankfully, she was spared having to answer, as the headmasters chose to enter the infirmary at that moment. Cerise walked just behind them.

"Raven!" said Giles Grimm. "We feared we'd lost you." Raven looked up at the headmaster, and Apple sucked in a breath. She looked almost dead. Exhausted and fearful in equal parts. And, worst of all, defeated. Like she was giving up before the fight even started. There was no emotion on her face, nothing in her eyes but fear and exhaustion, nothing in her body except the slump of her shoulders.

"Raven? What is going on?" asked Headmaster Grimm.

"My mother has returned," said Raven, in a low, plain voice. As though she was speaking simple fact and not relaying terrible information.

The Grimm brothers exchanged a glance.

"What?" said Giles Grimm.

"My mother has returned," repeated Raven in the same tone. "Her mirror is missing, the vines she stole from the Evil Fairy have taken over the forest, and her purple touch taints everything in our territory. It's only a matter of time before her physical form returns as well." Raven went back to staring at the floor.

The Grimm brothers turned and looked at Apple, equal parts horrified and confused. Apple fought to keep the own fear off her face. She knew that tone. That was a "prophecy tone". The kind of voice that only existed when magic itself was compelling you to speak the truth.

"Raven," said Giles Grimm. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Raven looked up at him, her brow knit in temporary confusion. "Bed."

Apple bit her lip. If Raven truly remembered nothing about what had happened, how were they supposed to stop her mother?

"Ms. White?" asked Headmaster Grimm.

Apple sighed and showed the brothers her bandaged hands. "She's right. Magic won't heal our wounds, and only the Evil Queen can do such a thing. The vines are part of the Sleeping Beauty story – I believe Briar could attest to that." Apple shook her head. "What I don't understand is _how_. How did she escape? Was her prison not strong enough?"

"I don't know," said Giles Grimm. "Surely there must be a reason." Both Grimm brothers looked at Raven, then they glanced to one another. There was a knowing in that look, one that put Apple on edge.

"What do you mean?" she asked, carefully keeping her tone neutral.

Headmaster Grimm gave Apple a flat look. "The mirror is locked with powerful enchantments. For its prison to be broken…" He shook his head. "It would take a powerful sorceress to do that, Ms. White, and I only know of two people in this school that powerful." His gaze went to Raven.

"Who's the other?" asked Apple, hoping to throw the blame on someone else.

"Baba Yaga," replied Headmaster Grimm. Well, thought Apple, so much for that plan.

"Raven didn't do it," said Apple, tightly. "She doesn't even know how she ended up in the forest!" Apple threw her arms wide, well aware that she was breaking every diplomacy rule she'd been taught.

Headmaster Grimm frowned. "That is exactly the problem. Ms. Queen's last memory is that of going to bed. We don't know what she did between when she went to sleep and when… What exactly happened?"

"We found her, in the enchanted forest," said Apple. "There were… messages in the purple. The taint had spread so far all ready. We followed it to a clearing, where we found Raven." She looked at Blondie. "Right, Blondie?"

Blondie frowned. "I don't remember any messages," she said.

"Well, sure there were messages," said Apple. "They said…" She trailed off. The words slipped away even as she thought them. "They said…" She shook her head. "What were we talking about?" asked Apple, blinking in confusion.

Giles Grimm sighed. "Another product of her magic. You forget the details fairly quickly. An old Wonderland trick. Thankfully, the only thing she stole from Wonderland."

Apple nodded, still confused.

"As I was saying," said Headmaster Grimm. "We simply don't know what happened between Raven going to sleep and when you found her in the Enchanted Forest." He folded his arms. "The events in those hours? They could be anything."

"Or they could be nothing," said Apple. And in that moment, she knew she sounded exactly like a queen. The Grimm brothers actually started at how hard her tone and expression went. "Raven is the daughter of the Evil Queen. Once she escaped, surely she just called Raven in hopes of bringing Raven over to her side." Apple folded her arms, lifted her chin, and locked eyes with the headmaster. "But she is here. Her magic is weak. She remembers nothing. Evidently, her mother decided the price was too high for the pay off and simply took Raven's powers." Had she? It made sense as Apple said it, at least. Though her only proof that Raven's magic was weak was that Raven was near catatonic and hadn't escaped or healed herself on her own. "Thus increasing her own power and explaining Raven's physical weakness."

There was a long moment of silence after Apple had spoken. Mama Bear and both Grimm brothers seemed taken aback at Apple's words. Of course, Apple was simply guessing, but she knew everything she had said made perfect sense. It would explain everything. And, just as importantly, it kept Raven from taking the blame for something she couldn't have had anything to do with.

"How do you know any of that is true?" asked Headmaster Grimm. "You don't know the Evil Queen."

"I know my mother," retorted Apple, voice still razor sharp. "And she knows the Evil Queen."

Another pause. Then, "Ms. White."

"Unless you have proof that Raven has anything to do with the escape of the Evil Queen, I think it would be a gross miscarriage of justice to blame her for such a heinous action," said Apple.

"Ms. White."

"Furthermore, I believe that Raven is our best chance at stopping the Evil Queen and understanding her motivations."

"Ms. White!" The words came from both Grimm brothers that time. Apple jumped.

"Yes?" she asked, clearing her throat.

They nodded behind Apple. Apple turned to see Raven staring at her, lips parted like she wanted to speak. Apple offered Raven a soft, comforting smile. Raven kept staring at her. The blanket over her eyes seemed to slowly recede, leaving their purple colour shining dully. It was far from the usual light in Raven's eyes, but it was _something_. And, an hour ago, there had been nothing but blank eyes and fear coming from Raven.

"You don't think I had anything to do with this," said Raven. Her voice was soft and stumbling. It wasn't a question.

"No," said Apple, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Why not?" asked Raven. She wrinkled her nose and her brow wrinkled with it.

Apple smiled. "Because I know you. And I know that even though you've wanted to be alone a lot lately, you'd never do this. Ever, Raven."

"Okay," said Raven, nodding slowly. "Okay." And Apple wasn't sure what she was saying 'okay' to, but she hoped it was something good.

"If you want to beat my mother," said Raven. She stared at her hands in her lap as she spoke. "You're going to need Faybelle. My mother stole her mother's magic, Faybelle can take it back. That'll be the only way to diminish enough of her power for another prison spell to work."

The Grimm brothers exchanged a glance. Apple couldn't help but frown in confusion.

"How do you know that?" asked Headmaster Grimm.

Now, Raven looked up at the brothers. She offered them a weak and watery smile that made Apple bite her own lip to keep from reaching out to comfort Raven. She didn't think it would go over well at the moment.

"She's my mother," said Raven, an incredulous tone in her voice. "I _talk_ to her. I love her." She shook her head. "I would never let her out though." That was said as a whisper, more to herself than the rest of the room. Apple and Blondie exchanged a glance. Blondie looked as scared as Apple felt.

"We need to imprison her again," said Giles Grimm.

"I know," said Raven, nodding. She pressed her lips together tightly and then let out a breathy laugh. It was closer to desperate than happy, however. "And if you think I'm going to fight her, you're madder than Maddie. I'll tell you how to beat her. But I won't do it. She's my _mother_." Raven's voice broke on the last word. "I won't fight her." She was shaking her head as she spoke the last sentence.

"You might not have a choice," said Headmaster Grimm, slowly.

"Then I'll make one," said Raven, tightly.

Apple crossed the infirmary then and laid a hand on Raven's shoulder. She looked the Grimm brothers in the eye as she spoke, pulling the authority of a queen back into her tone.

"You won't have to fight her," said Apple. "We'll figure this out. We'll beat your mom, we'll put her back in the mirror, and she won't get a chance to take any more magic or curse any more people, okay?"

"Okay," said Raven.

"Ms. White," said Headmaster Grimm. "You are not in charge."

Apple nodded. "I am well aware. But Raven is my friend. Her mother is my villain. I am almost as connected to the Queens as they are with each other. If I can do anything to stop Raven from having to fight her mother, I will," said Apple. She narrowed her eyes and stepped away from Raven. Walked with the relaxed shoulder purpose of a queen across the room.

"Is that a problem?" she asked, simply.

The Grimm brothers exchanged a glance.

"It might come down to a battle between Raven and her mother, no matter what you do," said Headmaster Grimm.

"Then I'll find every magic user in all of Ever After," said Apple. "Raven won't fight her mother." She turned to look at Raven. Locked eyes with the girl and was too aware of the light missing from those purple eyes. "I promise."

"Thank you," said Raven, her voice hoarse and thick with emotion.

"All right," said Headmaster Grimm with a sigh. "Call in all the staff. It's time to fight the Evil Queen. Again."

Cerise, who had been standing in the doorway this entire time, crossed the room to stand next to Blondie.

"I have a question," said Cerise.

"As do I," said Blondie.

Giles Grimm looked to the girls. "And what is that?"

The two exchanged a glance and gestured to one another, as if trying to get the other to say their apparently shared question.

"What happens if we lose?" asked Cerise, finally.

"Then Ever After is destroyed," said Raven, her voice sounding far away. "All magic will belong to my mother. She will rule everything with an iron fist. And all the good and love and beauty in the world…" Her voice went breathy as she spoke. "It will be destroyed."

"That's not good," said Blondie.

"No," said Giles Grimm. "And that's why we must work quickly. Come along now." Headmaster Grimm, Cerise, and Blondie followed Giles Grimm out of the infirmary. Apple lingered by the door a moment longer. She looked back at Raven to see Mama Bear checking Raven's pulse.

Raven met Apple's gaze with her mostly empty eyes. "Good luck," she said.

"Thank you," said Apple. "Stay safe." And then she turned and headed after the others.


	5. Falle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're really getting exciting now! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. Apple seems to be a little worried.
> 
> Comments and constructive feedback are welcome! Please consider leaving a comment.

By noon, the Enchanted Forest was completely blocked off by the great, climbing vines that had wrapped themselves around every inch of greenery they could find. Apple and Blondie stood in the courtyard of Ever After High, staring at the Enchanted Forest, just as everyone else in the area was.

Great, purple vines wrapped themselves around the forest, slithering between trees and over bushes. Each vine was covered in hundreds of foot-long, black barbs, so sharp that they glinted in the morning sun. The purple had spread throughout the forest, leaving every tree, every flower, every _inch_ of the forest a sickly combination of deep purples and dying yellow-greens. There was no way into the forest, just as there was no way out.

"Tell me everyone got out," said Apple, her voice shaking. She looked at Ashlynn, who was staring at the forest with tear filled eyes. " _Tell me_."

Ashlynn shook her head, a hand over her mouth. "Hunter," she gasped out. "Rosabella, Holly, and Ginger." She let out a choked sob and clasped her other hand over her mouth. After a few, loud, shaky breaths, she said, "They were looking for the animals when the vines did… _this_." She removed a hand from her mouth to gesture to the forest.

Blondie wrapped an arm around Ashlynn's shaking frame and led her away, murmuring words of comfort and hope.

With a deep breath, Apple turned her attention toward the crowd, who were all looking at her and the headmasters behind her. She wanted to break down. Wanted to scream. Since she'd woken up this morning she'd acted every bit the queen she was supposed to be. But now? Now she was running out of steam. She wanted to go back to bed, to hand this all off to someone else. But the headmasters were standing with her, and she knew everyone here looked up to her.

Was this what it meant to be a ruler? To shove aside your own fears until they no longer seemed to exist, only for them to return at the worst possible time?

Apple took another breath and took her place next to the headmasters. She tried not to let her fear show, and kept her hands clasped in front of her to hide their shaking.

Headmaster Grimm got straight to the point. "The Evil Queen has escaped her mirror prison. We do not know how, but we know she has." A great deal of gasps rose up from the crowd. Hands flew to mouths. One or two people fainted. "She has taken over the Enchanted Forest and we do not know how long she will wait before she attempts to take over Ever After High."

"How horrible," said Cupid, a hand over her mouth. There were nods and murmurs of agreement.

"What do we do?" asked Darling, taking a step forward. Dexter and Daring stood strong next to her, looking equally prepared.

Giles Grimm took the next portion. "We need Faybelle Thorn and we need a plan. Has anyone seen her?"

"I'm right here," said Faybelle, pushing through the crowd with one hand raised. "These thorns are my mother's. The Evil Queen stole them." There was something sharp in her voice and her wings fluttered in annoyance.

"We're well aware, thank you," said Headmaster Grimm. "We need you to steal them back."

Faybelle's eyes went wide. She jerked back, already rising off the ground as her wings fluttered nervously. "How am I supposed to do that?" asked Faybelle, her voice tight.

"There's a spell," said Giles Grimm. "One that will allow you to steal back your mother's stolen magic. If you take that magic back, then my brother, Baba Yaga, and I, should be able to recapture the Evil Queen and return her to her prison."

Faybelle drifted back to the ground, frowning. "Okay," she said, more than a touch of hesitation in her voice.

"You can do it," said Apple. She crossed the handful of steps to Faybelle and rested a hand on her shoulder. "We'll all be rooting for you and you won't be doing it alone."

Apple looked over at everyone else – all the scared teenagers who stared at her and the Grimm brothers like they knew all the answers. Apple knew little more than they did, but she was Snow White. She was born to be a Queen, a leader, and she would stand strong for everyone. No matter her own fears or hesitation, she had to stay strong. Just for a little while longer.

"We need to work together. We have jobs to do while the teachers find the Evil Queen," said Apple, raising her voice to be heard by everyone. She stepped away from Faybelle and dropped one fist into an open palm. "We need to find the animals, prepare potions and torches for burning the vines, and locate everyone who is lost in the forest." She looked over her shoulder to where Blondie and Ashlynn sat on the fountain. Blondie was still comforting Ashlynn, who was crying into a handkerchief.

"We know that Hunter Huntsmen, Rosabella Beauty, Holly O'Hair, and Ginger Breadhouse are missing. What we don't know is if they are the only ones missing," said Apple. "I want Poppy and Blondie to do a headcount. Check your dorms, ask around. If you're roommate is missing, tell them. If you can't find someone, tell them. Within two hours, I want to know every single person we need to find." Apple put her hands on her hips and surveyed the students.

"Furthermore, I want everyone proficient in magic to meet in Baba Yaga's house. We can go over potions and strategies there. The Evil Queen is powerful. We don't need her stealing any more legacy magic," said Apple. People were nodding now. Some stood up straighter, some put hands on others. They were all starting to form together based on Apple's words.

Apple looked over her shoulder at the Grimm brothers. "Is there anything else we need to address?" she asked, dropping her voice to its usual sweet tones.

The brothers exchanged a glance.

"No," said Giles Grimm. "I think that will be all, Ms. White. Thank you very much for your help."

Apple nodded. "Of course, anything." She turned back to everyone one last time and nodded to the students. "All right, now, make sure you all stay in groups. We don't need to lose anyone else," she said in her projecting voice. "Let's get to work!"

There was a flurry of movement as everyone headed back to the school. Many of them broke off into groups, just like Apple had requested, and were whispering to each other. A few students even stopped to clasp hands with her on their way back.

"Thank you," said one girl as she went by. Apple rested her hand on the girl's shoulder for a moment and gave her a reassuring smile. There were others – some had suggestions, some had questions. Apple pointed them in the direction of those that could help and answered what she could.

"I have a question," said Faybelle. Many were already gone, but those that remained turned at the sharpness in Faybelle's voice. "Where's Raven? Her mom is the one pulling all this, shouldn't she be here?"

Apple managed a tight smile. "Raven is in the infirmary, recovering from the vines. She's being monitored and she has nothing to do with any of this."

Faybelle scowled. "Are you serious?" asked Faybelle. "I mean, like mother, like daughter, right?"

"Raven is a good friend," said Apple, tightly. "She has nothing to do with this."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Faybelle.

Apple pressed her lips tightly together and clenched her fists at her sides. She took two steps forward and opened her mouth to deliver a biting retort.

She didn't get a chance to respond however, as, at that moment, Cerise interrupted them.

"Apple, we have a problem," said Cerise.

Apple turned her attention toward Cerise, thankful for the interruption. She'd been about to do something she'd no doubt regret later.

"What is it?" she asked, mindful that her voice was still sharp. She tried to tone it down.

Cerise chewed on the inside of her cheek. "We've got six more missing people already, including a teacher."

"What teacher?" asked Apple.

"Mr. Badwolf," said Cerise. She shook her head and clenched her fists. "I don't know what the Evil Queen wants with him! The Red Riding Hood story doesn't even have any magic beyond the whole shapeshifting thing. And she already has that kind of magic." Apple placed a hand on Cerise's shoulder. She didn't understand why Cerise was so upset. Mr. Badwolf was her villain, after all, and Cerise was a rebel.

But then, maybe Cerise was just concerned about what the Evil Queen would do with Mr. Badwolf. Such a powerful villain – magic spells or no – in her hands couldn't have been a good thing.

"We'll sort all this out," said Apple. "And we'll get everyone back, even Mr. Badwolf." Out of the corner of her eye, Apple saw Faybelle make a face. Faybelle, Apple was realizing more and more, seemed to enjoy being a chaos causing loner more than anyone else in this school. Frankly, it was a miracle she'd even agreed to help. But then, she was probably only doing it to get her mother's magic back. The thought made Apple's stomach turn. Faybelle already had decently powerful magic. What would she do with the magic she took back from the Evil Queen?

"Thanks," said Cerise.

Apple nodded. "Now, who are the other missing students? Have you told Blondie and Poppy?" Apple glanced over Cerise's shoulder to see Dexter waving his arms dramatically as he spoke to Blondie and Poppy. Poppy was nodding, one hand on her chin. Blondie was taking notes on her MirrorPad.

"Yeah, but here's the thing – it's all Wonderlanders," said Cerise.

Apple stared. "…What?" breathed Apple. Something about that struck her as wrong. "Why would she take the Wonderlanders?"

"Because they're the most magical people in all of Ever After," said Faybelle. Apple turned to see Faybelle fold her arms tightly across her chest.

"What did you say?" asked Apple, frowning.

Faybelle shrugged. "Wonderland magic is basically infinite. Lizzie's got the book that leads to the Well, Maddie and Kitty have magic so unique that it's impossible to recreate, and Alistair and Bunny are still coated in Wonderland magic because they grew up there," said Faybelle. "If the Evil Queen wants all the magic of Wonderland, she needs those five." Faybelle shrugged. "It makes total sense for her to do it."

Apple felt the heat drain from her face. Knew her eyes had gone wide and her lips had parted in horror.

"All the magic of Wonderland," breathed Cerise. Apple and Cerise exchanged a glance. Apple's look of horror was mirrored on Cerise's face.

"How long do we have?" asked Apple.

Faybelle shook her head and chewed on her lip. "I don't know. Mom told me about this stuff but never how long it took. If it's anything like any other draining spell though…" Faybelle sighed and tugged on one of her earrings. "She needs a full moon."

In a very hesitant voice, Cerise said, "But… tonight's a full moon."

"We need to tell the headmasters, now," said Apple. She grabbed Cerise's arm with one hand, Faybelle's with the other, and the three ran toward Baba Yaga's house, where the headmasters had gone to organize the more magically inclined students.

"Hey!" Faybelle shouted. "Leave me out of this."

"We need you to tell the headmasters too," said Apple, continuing to run.

Once there, the three climbed the ladder one after the other and popped the trap door into the treehouse.

"Headmaster Grimm," gasped Apple, completely out of breath. Cerise and Faybelle climbed into the treehouse after her. Faybelle was gasping for air as well, but Cerise seemed perfectly fine. Apple felt a twinge of jealously.

"What is it?" asked Headmaster Grimm, turning away from the magical students – which included Darling, who smiled weakly at them – to Apple and the two others.

"The Wonderlanders are missing," said Apple. "We think the Evil Queen took them."

Giles Grimm and Headmaster Grimm looked at each other. They did that a lot, Apple noticed. Perhaps they could communicate that way.

"Why would she do that?" asked Giles, but even as he said it, there was a tone of realization and horror in his voice.

"My mother," said Faybelle, still breathing hard. "Told me once that Wonderland magic is the most powerful magic of all. If you can steal it, you can do anything and no one stands a chance at stopping you." Faybelle grimaced. "That's… how she wanted me to get my magic back, by stealing others. Not like I would do it, duh."

"But how would she do that?" asked Darling, stepping forward. "A villain cannot take a hero's magic, the Storybook of Legends says so."

"The Storybook of Legends has been destroyed," said Headmaster Grimm, tightly. "No thanks to Ms. White and Ms. Queen."

"We did the right thing," said Apple, just as sharply.

"Be that as it may," said Headmaster Grimm. He didn't sound convinced. "We no longer know if those rules apply to magic – or what rules apply, exactly."

"Beyond that," chimed in Giles. "Wonderlanders do not count as heroes or villains, but neutral parties. It is the nature of their story and of their magic. Even the Jabberwock does not count one way or the other." Giles gave his brother a hard look as he said, "Book or no book, she can take their powers."

"She has Mr. Badwolf, too," said Cerise, her eyes wide with concern. "Could she steal his shapeshifting?"

Headmaster Grimm nodded. "Yes, and it would also allow her to take command of the predators in both forests."

"When will she make the transfer?" asked Giles Grimm.

"Tonight," said Faybelle. "We think she needs a full moon, and I doubt she's going to wait another month."

"Agreed," said Giles. "Well then, I suggest we start preparing." Apple, Cerise, and Faybelle joined the brothers, Baba Yaga, and the other students in making potions, spells, and traps for the Evil Queen. But even as they worked, Apple couldn't shake the thought that they were all hopelessly outgunned.

They'd need a miracle to win this next battle, and Apple was fresh out of ideas.


	6. Gestohlen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and late, but it should be worth it. Comments are welcome!

Night came far too quickly for Apple's liking. As the full moon rose into the sky, Apple and the others took their places along the edge of the Enchanted Forest. They were all armed with potions, torches, and even a single bottle of wild fyre, to be used if all else was lost.

In front of what had once been the path into the Enchanted Forest stood Baba Yaga, Headmaster Grimm, Giles Grimm, Faybelle Thorn, and Apple White. The three staff members looked strong and confident, just as they had the day they had first captured the Evil Queen.

Faybelle looked less than sure. She fidgeted and twitched, her wings fluttering nervously. Every few seconds she'd lift a bit off the ground, only to drop back onto it with a dull 'thud'. Apple stood a foot behind them all, watching silently. Once the staff, and Faybelle, were in the forest, it would be Apple in charge on this side. She'd have to make sure everyone was in their place if they wanted to ensure everyone got out of the forest safely.

"Archers!" called Headmaster Grimm. The archers standing on a close hill raised their bows. Their fire tipped arrows were enchanted. According to Faybelle, they would be able to burn away the vines long enough for the staff to get in, and a second set would burn a way out, once Headmaster Grimm contacted them on the MirrorPads.

"Ready, aim and-" Headmaster Grimm abruptly cut off. Apple and the others watched in horror as the vines around the entrance to the enchanted forest retracted, leaving a clear path through the forest that was lit by small, floating orbs of purple fire.

Apple stared. She looked back at the crowd of students behind her and saw Briar, who shrugged. She couldn't make out any other nuisances in Briar's expression, not from this distance. But it was too risky for her to come closer, what with this being her villain's magic and all. She'd hoped Briar would know something, but the shrug said she didn't. Apple sighed inwardly.

"Okay," said Faybelle, slowly. "That's weird."

"This must be a trap," said Giles Grimm, looking at his brother. Headmaster Grimm nodded in response.

"It doesn't matter," said Baba Yaga. "We must keep going."

"Agreed," said Giles Grimm.

Apple took a few steps forward. "But she's expecting you. How do you know she won't hurt you? Or be able to beat you?" She bit her lower lip hard to keep it from trembling. But her body language remained strong, and that was what was important.

"We're stronger than we look, Miss White," said Headmaster Grimm, squaring his shoulders.

"And we've dealt with the Evil Queen before," added Baba Yaga, floating easily next to the headmaster.

"Besides," said Giles Grimm, gesturing to Faybelle. "We have more help this time around. We'll be fine, I assure you." He offered Apple a small smile before pushing up his glasses.

Apple nodded, though she felt fairy unsure, and went back to her position between the four and the rest of the student body. Along the way, she paused and rested a hand on Faybelle's shoulder.

"Good luck," said Apple.

"Thanks," said Faybelle, but her gaze was on the forest. Apple could feel Faybelle trembling beneath her hand. She offered Faybelle a reassuring smile, but Faybelle didn't seem to notice. Apple stepped past Faybelle and watched.

"Let's go," said Headmaster Grimm. Together, the three staff members and Faybelle marched into the forest.

The moment the four passed the threshold of the Enchanted Forest, the vines slid back across it, and the forest was cut off from Ever After High once more.

"Did you see that?" said someone behind Apple.

"No way," said another. Startled gasps and whispers travelled like wildfire through the crowd of students.

Apple pressed her lips tightly together. This had to work, trap or no trap. This was their only shot.

A sharp crackle of purple across most people's hips made Apple start. Everyone pulled out their MirrorPads, including Apple. A live feed of the Enchanted Forest stared back at them. Headmaster Grimm, Giles Grimm, Baba Yaga, and Faybelle were walking through the forest, each one with a hand raised and their eyes alert. Headmaster Grimm was holding a spell book with one hand, Giles Grimm was holding a lantern. Baba Yaga was _walking_ not hovering. That was odd unto itself.

What had happened to her to make her walk?

"Blondie?" called Apple. "Is this you?" Her gaze found Blondie in the crowd of people.

Blondie shook her head, walking over to Apple. "No, and this is definitely not right."

"Yeah," said Briar, appearing on Apple's other side. "Why is the Evil Queen showing us what's happening?"

Apple's gaze went back to her MirrorPad. She frowned, watching the MirrorCast of the four walking through the forest. "I don't know," she admitted. "But I have a bad feeling about this."

As the students watched, mesmerized by the footage, their potions were forgotten and their plans fell apart. Apple didn't realize, she was too enthralled by the footage as well. And purple smoke slipped between their feet, stealing their weapons and their potions until the students were as helpless as they'd been before.

Still, no one noticed, though Apple thought she felt a tad lighter. She didn't think anything of it.

"Where are they going?" asked Briar, next to Apple's ear.

"The clearing," said Apple. "Where we found Raven." The fear in her voice mixed with realization and she looked to Briar with wide, terrified eyes.

Briar swallowed hard. "That can't be good."

On the screen, the four stepped into the clearing, where the vines had formed a massive throne. Upon it sat the Evil Queen, in all her evil glory.

Apple shuddered and looked up to the infirmary windows. She knew, in that room, Raven was watching this all unfold as well. She couldn't imagine what it was like, to have your mother be such a terrible human. The manipulation, that, she understood. But everything else? It was too dreadful to think about.

" _Hello,"_ said the Evil Queen, grinning down at the four. Faybelle was cowering behind the others.

" _Stand down, Queen, you have no right to Ever After High,"_ said Headmaster Grimm, throwing an accusatory finger toward the Evil Queen.

" _Foolish people, thinking you can stand against me!"_ said the Evil Queen. She stood and held out one hand, beckoning. Faybelle started to slide forward, her feet dragging on the ground.

" _What's happening?"_ shrieked Faybelle, reaching back toward the teachers. But she was already out of arms' reach, and vines shot up between them to keep the teachers from reaching out to Faybelle.

Apple gasped. Briar put a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh no," she breathed.

" _Such powerful, young magic,_ " said the Evil Queen. Faybelle floated just in front of her, purple smoke holding her in place. The Evil Queen stroked Faybelle's cheek and she tried to jerk her head away.

" _You were fools, to think she could stop me,"_ said the Evil Queen. She grabbed Faybelle's chin roughly. Faybelle cried out, tears in her eyes.

" _Help me,"_ she whimpered.

" _Prick your finger, prick your toe, know to learn, and learn to know. Your magic's mine for the taking, I'll leave you quivering and shaking,"_ hissed the Evil Queen. On her last word, smoky grey-blue magic seeped out of Faybelle's mouth and nose and trickled into the Evil Queen's hand. She cackled and tossed Faybelle back toward them. The fairy landed, limply, on the ground. The vines still separated Faybelle from the teachers. They stared. Faybelle was fairy still.

The Evil Queen's laughter made the MirrorPad's shriek in protest. Apple slapped her free hand over one ear and winced. Watched as the blue and purple magic spiralled together – higher and higher into the air until the clouds appeared above the forest. Until Apple and the others could see those clouds without their MirrorPads.

" _Now, you'll all be_ mine _,"_ snarled the Evil Queen. She threw out a hand toward the staff. They screamed, smoke pulled from their noses and mouths, and then all three collapsed to the ground. Their magic swirled around the Evil Queen, who cackled even more loudly.

Then everything went dark. The screens on half the MirrorPads cracked. And all the students were left wondering what had happened.

"What do we do now?" asked Briar to Apple. All the students turned to stare at her.

"Raven," said Apple, licking her lips. "We need Raven."

"You _promised_ ," started Cerise.

"I know," said Apple, her voice sharp. She swallowed hard and brought her voice down to normal tones. "I know. But we don't have a choice. The Evil Queen cannot be allowed to have this much magic. The only person that knows how to stop her is Raven." She looked up to the sky. The clouds were forming a nasty looking circle around the full moon. "We don't have much time."

Cerise sighed. "Then let's go. Before it's too late."

Apple nodded. "Everyone, come into the Castleteria. I'm going to speak with Raven. We'll have a plan within the hour," she said, raising her voice to be heard by all.

The students followed after her as they went into the school. As they walked, Briar grabbed onto Apple's arm, forcing her to stop. The crowd streamed around them, parting like a stream against a rock.

"Do we have that much time?" asked Briar, her eyes shining.

"I don't know," confessed Apple. "But I have to try something."

Briar nodded. "Whatever happens, I'll be here to help."

Apple took Briar's hand in her own. "Thank you," she said. She looked up at the smoky clouds surrounding the moon. "We need to go." And she and Briar headed into the school and toward Raven. There wasn't much time left, and their only hope relied in the daughter of the woman they were trying to stop.


	7. Übertragen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I just vanished from this fandom for a bit, wrote other things to cope and enjoy myself with. Hoping to resume regular updates now.
> 
> Comments are love!

Raven was standing in the foyer when Apple and Briar walked into the school. She was dressed, arms folded across her chest, and purple flames licking her hair and her eyes. The entire student body had parted around her, leaving a wide open circle for Apple to walk into.

"What happened?" asked Raven. The sharpness in her voice had half the students cringing back. Apple could see the way the flames danced around Raven. She was barely hanging on. If she lost it in here, everyone would think she was working with her mother.

"The teachers weren't enough," said Apple, keeping her voice calm. She walked right up to Raven and dropped her voice. "Deep breaths, turn it off, before someone takes it the wrong way." The words were low and laced with a warning. Raven nodded.

As Apple stepped back, the flames all but vanished. Only a flicker remained in Raven's eyes.

"What do we do now?" asked Briar. Others began to murmur and whisper. As the cacophony rose, Apple and Raven's eyes met, one with her fear in the purple flames behind her eyes, the other holding it tightly coiled around her heart.

"This is all _your_ fault." The sharp words cut through the crowd. Ramona Badwolf stepped into the wide berth around Raven, fangs barred. Everyone went silent. "If you weren't such a coward, you would have gone with them."

Raven bristled. "She's my mother!"

"She's a demon!" snarled Ramona. "She's a power hungry manic that cares about nothing but her own goals. And she won't hesitate to take all of your magic too." Ramona's ears flattened against her head. "How do we know you're not working with her?"

"How dare-" started Raven, flames wrapping around her arms.

"That's enough." Apple stepped between the two, her own sharp tone making Ramona jump. "Raven has been incredibly helpful to us since this entire fiasco started and I trust her with my _life_ , Ramona." Apple knew her voice had gone dark when she saw a few of the other students back-up. "The teachers are gone, I'm taking control, and I will not have you questioning Raven."

Ramona growled. "And what makes you think _you_ can lead us?"

"She's my villain," said Apple. She stepped close to Ramona and channeled every ounce of evil that Evilnomics had taught her. " _Back. Off."_ Ramona stepped back, ears laid flat against her head and teeth bared. Apple hated doing that, but she knew it was the only effective way to make a Badwolf back off. Even if it did make her skin crawl.

"Always about _your_ happily ever after, isn't it, Apple?" snapped Ramona.

Apple bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ramona's fangs seemed to glisten in the light of the foyer. "As long as you get what you want, what does it matter what happens to the rest of us, right?" Ramona's voice was loud and confident, throwing itself into the shadows and corners of the open space. "Villains are villains, heroes are heroes. Always so black and white for Miss Apple White." There was a sing-song quality to the last few words. Ramona's eyes glinted in the light. A warning of her anger.

"The Storybook of Legends is gone, due to no small effort of my own," said Apple, slowly. "I'm no longer the leader of the Royals, Ramona, I gave up that dichotomy when I helped Raven destroy the book." She took a step forward and saw Ramona step back. Again, Apple felt her stomach churn and forced herself not to show weakness. This wasn't her. But this was necessary, as awful as it was.

"You said she was _your_ villain," said Ramona, teeth still bared. Apple narrowed her eyes.

"Because I've studied her," said Apple, calm as could be. "I know her magic, her motives, her backstory. Everything my mother could tell me and everything I could get out of everyone else."

Ramona looked a little shocked.

"I am dedicated to what I do, no matter what it is," said Apple. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and turned to Raven, softening. "Raven, I'm so sorry, but I think I have to break my promise."

Raven sighed. She unfolded her arms and let them drop to her sides. "Yeah, I think so too."

"Will you do it?" asked Apple. She bit her lip, wanting to reach out and hug her friend. Comfort her in some small way before she asked this awful question. "Will you fight your mother to save Ever After?"

Raven stared at Apple, her eyes soft and resigned. Her expression fearful but also knowledgeable. She knew, as well as Apple did, that they were out of time and out of options. If only they had more time, Apple could think of something. But time was gone, the teachers with magic were captured, and everything was falling apart. There was no choice, and that made Apple feel sicker than her anger toward Ramona had.

"Okay," said Raven. Her voice dropped so that only Apple could hear her. "For you? Yeah, I'll fight my mother."

Apple nodded, feeling the tips of her ears turn red. Why for her? Why not for all of Ever After? That seemed like such an odd thing to say.

"Gather our supplies," said Apple. "We're sending Raven into the forest." She lifted her voice and let the command seep back into it. Looked back to Ramona to see her disappear into the crowd, frowning. Cerise was whispering to her, also looking pensive. Apple knew she'd been too harsh. Knew she'd said things she shouldn't have.

But she'd have to apologize later, after they'd saved Ever After.

"Apple?" It was Briar. Apple turned, eyebrows raised. "Our supplies are gone. All our potions, our weapons, everything."

"What?" said Apple. She reached for the pouch hanging at her side, only to find it empty and light. "Oh no."

"She must have taken it all," said Raven. "Destroy your supplies and she leaves most of you helpless. Beyond that, her magic is fairy powerful, more so than all of yours. Without enhancement? You can't stand up again her." Raven shrugged, arms folded across her chest. "It's how I'd do it."

"You'd know," muttered someone in the crowd.

Apple narrowed her eyes in that general direction before turning her attention back to Raven. "Let's gather up what we can and get back into the forest. We have less than an hour."

Raven nodded. Together, they led everyone back out of the school and toward Baba Yaga's office.

* * *

It took twenty long minutes to gather up what few potions they had. There were no more arrows. No more flames. But there were a handful of potions and some swords. It would have to do.

Raven and Apple stepped up to the vine covered entrance to the Enchanted Forest together. Raven looked at Apple, who nodded, and Raven's magic flared around her.

Her purple eyes glowed and flames licked across her body as she called upon her magic. Soft whispers of chanting, inaudible but there, echoed around her. Raven threw her arms forward, spread them wide, and the vines retracted from the forest.

Apple perked. Raven had done what the students couldn't do without a lot of help and potions. If this was what she was capable of now, then perhaps she really could take down her mother.

Then, with growing dread, Apple heard a soft, feminine chuckle behind them. She and Raven turned as one to see the Evil Queen standing in the middle of the field, her vines spreading around her and dancing toward the students.

Raven threw out an arm to keep Apple from stepping forward. "Apple, stay behind me," she said, voice low with warning. Apple swallowed hard and nodded. She took a step back.

"Oh, how sweet, you're protecting your little princess," said the Evil Queen. Raven growled. The Evil Queen smiled. "What, you think Mummy didn't know about _that_ particular bout of rebellion?"

"Raven?" asked Apple. What did the Evil Queen mean?

"Shut up," Raven snapped at the Evil Queen. Apple jumped anyway. "You don't know anything about me."

The Evil Queen scoffed. She snapped her fingers and all the captured students and staff appeared in a semi-circle behind her, all held aloft in midair by smoky purple chains.

"I'm your mother, Raven, I know everything about you," said the Evil Queen, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Even what you don't want me to know." Her gaze went over Raven's shoulder to focus on Apple again. Apple took a step back.

" _Enough_." Raven's snarl set purple fire shooting along the ground toward the Evil Queen. She snuffed it out with a flick of her wrist. "You may have raised me, but you know _nothing_ about me. The moment I stopped wanting to be exactly like you, you decided I wasn't good enough anymore." The flames danced higher and higher around Raven, and while Apple was scared, they never came near her.

"Someone's testy," said the Evil Queen in a sing-song voice. "Don't want people knowing pesky little secret?"

Raven snarled. The flames danced higher. They shot toward the Evil Queen and ripped around her, snapping the chains holding Maddie and Lizzie. The two girls fell to the ground and Briar and Blondie ran forward and grabbed them. The Evil Queen wasn't quick enough, and she growled at Raven.

"You insolent, ungrateful _brat_!" Her shout made the trees shake and the vines grow higher. She threw out one arm to send her vines toward the students, but flames ripped them up. A circle of purple flames shot around the courtyard and created a circle that separated Raven, Apple, and the Evil Queen from the rest of the students.

"How _dare_ you!" snarled the Queen. The chains around the others seemed to tighten. Apple let out a soft gasp. She hoped they weren't being hurt by this confrontation.

"Don't touch them." There was a warning in Raven's voice. "Don't you _dare_ touch them."

The Evil Queen growled. "I raised you. I taught you how to use your magic. I made you what you were!" She threw her vines out at Raven and Apple. Apple jumped back with a yelp. Fire shot forward and destroyed the vines.

"You made me think I was a freak! That everyone would hate me," shouted Raven. She clenched her fists. The flames around them rose higher and higher. Two more sets of chains broke. Mr. Badwolf and Baba Yaga dropped to the ground. "That I couldn't be who I wanted to be – who I _was_."

Raven threw out an arm, eyes glowing. " _Take her down._ " The flames formed animals as they rushed forward, slamming into the Evil Queen as elephants, griffins, and dragons.

"You're supposed to be evil!" the Evil Queen threw back. She stumbled, recovered from the hit. " _Ensnare her_." The vines whipped forward and came at Raven, wrapping around her wrists. The flames shot up around Apple, burning the vines away before they could grab her. They lifted Raven into the air, who was struggling against the vines. Her flames burned them away only for new ones to take their place.

" _No._ " The simple word ignited all the chains. Sent them shattering and all of the Evil Queen's captives clattering to the ground. Apple stared. Flames and vines battling across the courtyard. Students hidden behind the flames that danced all around them. She wasn't sure what to do – what to _think_. It felt like those two were having a whole other conversation behind their words.

And why was Raven defending her more than herself? It made no sense. Apple grit her teeth and took a step forward.

The Evil Queen laughed, her words now directed at Apple. "Oh, child, no wonder my daughter is so fond of you." She smiled, shark-like, at Apple. "You are truly _nothing_ like your mother." There was a taunt to her voice that made Apple narrow her eyes.

"Oh, I am well aware," said Apple. She clenched her fists and stood straight. "And I am perfectly fine with that." The sharpness in her voice made the Evil Queen start, then grin.

"Oh, you have more anger in you than my daughter," purred the Evil Queen. "I can work with that."

"Don't you touch her," snarled Raven. The flames ripped around them again. The vines exploded and Raven dropped down in front of Apple, entire body heaving with exertion. "Don't you touch her you monster."

The Evil Queen laughed. "Monster? Now you've made me angry, sweet pea," she said, pouting. She snapped her fingers and vines shot up around them, throwing Apple sideways.

"Wait!" cried Raven.

The Evil Queen kept laughing. "Did you really think you could stop me, child? You are _nothing_. You could have been great. You could have been the best. But you threw it all away for some _princess_ who has no idea how you feel." Wait, _what?_ Apple's eyes went wide. What was going _on?_

The vines wrapped around Raven and lifted her into the air. Raven shouted and chanted, but fear edged her voice. And that fear was killing her magic.

Apple stared, on her hands and knees, as the Evil Queen walked toward her.

"Now, you?" said the Evil Queen. The vines curled as she walked, forming an impossible wall around them. "You have so much _potential._ " Her voice dripped, honey sweet and dangerous all at once. Apple shivered and stumbled to her feet. She took a step back, only to bump into vines.

"You, Apple White?" said the Evil Queen. "I can use." She lifted one hand, still fifteen feet back from Apple, and it glowed. Apple widened her eyes, frozen in fear.

"No!" came Raven's shout. Just as the Evil Queen's spell erupted toward Apple, flames shot up between them. There was _light_ and there was _warmth_ and Apple knew she was screaming. Knew something – Raven or the Evil Queen, she didn't know – had hit her.

And then everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Tumblr!](anipendragon.tumblr.com)


	8. Stumm

Apple came awake slowly. Her mind was awash with fog and pain and confusion. She couldn't remember much from before. Raven and her mother screaming and fighting. A blast of light. Then… nothing.

What had happened? Where was she?

"Apple, are you all right?" came Raven's voice. Apple smiled inwardly. _Raven_. At least she was still okay. After the fight between Raven and her mother, Apple hadn't been sure what kind of shape Raven would be in.

" _I'm all right,"_ said Apple. Or rather, she tried to. No words came out. Her eyes wouldn't open. Then they were open. And she was sitting up. Only she didn't remember sitting up.

"I'll be okay," said Apple's voice. Apple whimpered, the sound echoing around her head. _Oh no._ "Just a scratch, I'll be picture perfect in no time."

"I'm just glad we stopped my mother," said Raven. Apple could see Raven now, sitting across from her, laying one hand over Apple's. But Apple couldn't feel it. She tried to jerk, to stumble, and found that her entire body was under someone else's control.

_Oh no._

With a gasp, Apple managed to turn around inside her mind and found herself in a vast and empty white space. She shivered, rubbing at her mostly bare arms. In front of her, perhaps ten feet out, purple smoke began to form. Apple stumbled back a single step just as the smoke solidified into the Evil Queen.

"Oh no," said Apple. The words echoed in the space.

The Evil Queen smiled at her. "Hello, Apple White," she said. Her smile was serene, but horribly unnerving, and it reminded Apple far too much of her mother's. Of the constant berating looks and smiles. Of the whispers of "you're not good enough" and "you'll never be good enough".

She stumbled back another step, hugging herself tightly as a wave of nausea swept across her. Quite suddenly, she found herself blinking back tears.

"What did you do to me?" whispered Apple.

"Me?" said the Evil Queen. She gestured to the space around them. "This. What you _feel_ is because of my traitorous daughter. She used a memory spell in an attempt to guilt me into stopping." A tisk. "What a… _precious_ move. Foolish, of course, but then, she always did take after her father."

"What do you want?" asked Apple. Her stomach churned as the noise continued in her ears. The shouts from the royal court as she stumbled in a dance step. The question of whether or not her hair was good enough. The closed door conversations her mother had with fairy godmothers and fairy godmothers in-training. Conversations about altering her too-blue eyes and her too-pink lips and her too-blonde hair.

She was never good enough.

Apple grabbed her head and cried out, tears in her eyes as the words swarmed around her. "Make it stop!" she cried. And it did.

Rather abruptly, all the noise inside her mind was gone and only blissful silence remained. Apple blinked away the tears and opened her eyes. She lowered her hands from her head, looking around. Surely it wasn't that simple?

"What did you do?" asked Apple.

The Evil Queen spread her hands. "I made it stop."

"Why?" asked Apple, the word harsh and barbed as it travelled between them.

"You were in pain," said the Evil Queen. The sympathy in her voice and in her expression made Apple press her lips tightly together. "Why would I let you stay in pain if I could stop it?"

She was lying. She was a villain and she was lying. No matter how concerned she sounded.

"That's what you do," said Apple.

"And how would you know?" asked the Evil Queen.

Apple clenched her fists at her sides and squared her shoulders. "I've studied you. I've watched all the MirrorCast footage there is of you. You're evil. Pure, unfiltered, uncaring evil."

The Evil Queen narrowed her eyes. "Once," she admitted, her eyes growing soft after the word. "Once, you would have been right. But after Raven was born I began to calm. All I wanted was the power to protect my family, and if I had to take that from Wonderland? So be it." She put a hand over her heart, her long nails were the same red as Apple's skirt. "I may be a villain, Apple, but I am also a mother. Is it so wrong to want to keep my family safe?"

"If you really loved them, you wouldn't be so stuck on Raven becoming a villain," said Apple. She folded her arms. "You'd let her be whatever she wanted."

The Evil Queen faltered, lips parting for a moment before she pressed them tightly together. She nodded, a sigh slipping into the air around them.

"You're right," she said. "I've always been stuck on tradition." She sighed, placing a hand to the side of her head. "How could I be so _blind_ not to notice the pain I caused my sweet Raven?"

Apple pressed her lips together. What was she doing? Did she really mean any of this?

The Evil Queen smiled, lowering her arm to cross both under her chest. "No matter," she said. "I have a chance to start over. To know things about my sweet girl that no one else does." She tipped her head to one side. "I really must thank you Apple."

"Why?" asked Apple, a pit forming in her stomach.

"For giving me a second chance to get to know my daughter," said the Evil Queen. She sighed, dramatic and overdrawn. "Oh, how I've _longed_ for such an opportunity. And to have it while masquerading as her closest, _dearest_ friend?" The Evil Queen gave a smile that belonged on the Cheshire Cat. "This will be glorious."

Apple felt herself pale. She took a step back and saw a mist swirl up around her – pale purple and glittering. It wrapped itself around the Evil Queen like an old friend, draping across her as if it were a robe.

"So thank you, Apple White," said the Evil Queen. "For your wonderful gift, I'll make sure you're comfortable in here." She tipped her head. Furniture formed from the purple mist around Apple, creating a seating area.

"You can't keep me in here forever," said Apple. "I'll find a way to tell Raven what happened."

The Evil Queen chuckled and stroked the mist. "Then I wish you the best of luck," she said, the mocking in her tone making Apple's hackles rise. "I'm the Evil Queen, darling. So long as I want to stay, I will stay. And you have such a… _lovely_ form to stay in."

As the Evil Queen disappeared, Apple shivered again, hugging herself. She refused to back down and kept her shoulders square and her eyes narrowed.

"I will stop you," she said to the fading mist.

And then it was gone, leaving Apple in the seating area. Hesitantly, she sat down in one of the chairs. A large floating mirror appeared in the seating area. Its reflective surface solidified into Apple's side of her room in Ever After High. It took Apple a moment, but she realized she was looking at the world through her now possessed eyes.

Apple shivered. She tucked her legs under herself and hugged herself tightly.

"Apple!" came Raven's voice. She appeared in the mirror, smiling brightly. "We've found everyone in the forest and the vines are disappearing. It looks like my mother really is gone."

"That's wonderlandiful, Raven," said the Evil Queen with Apple's voice. "Do they still have their magic?"

Raven nodded, looking a little perplexed. The Evil Queen had Apple's inflections wrong. Plus, asking about magic first instead of their well-being was decidedly un-Apple like.

"Come on, Raven," whispered Apple.

"Yeah," said Raven, slowly. "Everyone but Faybelle is back to normal. Her magic is still acting weird, like it's not all there." She shrugged. "But everyone else is fine, so we're pretty sure her magic will come back soon as well."

"That's good," said the Evil Queen. Raven reached out, hesitant and shaky, and rested her other hand on Apple's. Apple winced as she watched the Evil Queen draw back the hand. She knew the look on the Evil Queen's face. The polite, queenly smile that had Raven shutting down.

"Sorry," mumbled Raven. "I- never mind. It's stupid."

The Evil Queen tipped her head to one side and hummed. "Not stupid, Raven. We're best friends forever after, aren't we?"

Raven nodded, her smile tight and eyes distant. She was trying to hide the pain of rejection, but Apple still saw it. She wondered if the Evil Queen saw it. "Friends, of course."

And Apple's heart was panging for Raven. She wasn't sure how'd she would have reacted to the gesture herself, but she would have been honest about that much, at least. Would have told Raven that she was confused, that there were bigger things going on, that she'd – they'd – sort all this out after they stopped everything else that was going on.

Apple didn't want Daring, she knew that much. And she was close to Raven.

But the rest? Well, Apple just wasn't sure.

"Such a pity," murmured the Evil Queen in Apple's ear. Apple jerked around to see the Evil Queen standing before her. Apple glanced back to the screen – her body was brushing her hair. Raven was studying her MirrorPad in the reflection.

The Evil Queen took Apple's chin in her hand and Apple jerked away from the touch. Said nothing.

"I think we can have a little fun with that, don't you?" asked the Evil Queen. She chuckled, the sound sharp and grating in Apple's ears.

Outside the mind space, the Evil Queen said, "Raven, do you think you could take me to the infirmary? I want to be sure everyone is going to be all right."

Raven looked up from her MirrorPad. "Sure thing, Apple."

The two got up and left the room and Apple sunk deeper into the couch.

She needed to figure out a way to signal Raven, before it was too late.


	9. Zerbrechen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! Hoping to get back into regular updates. Lots of build-up to future stuff now, so we'll see how it all goes.

One day turned to two, and two days turned to three. Apple watched from her prison as the school was slowly pieced back together and people remained none-the-wiser about the switch between the Evil Queen and Apple White. She watched as the Evil Queen pushed Raven further and further away with so-called innocent comments about their friendship, and slight shifts in her stance whenever Raven got too close. She watched as Raven grew more and more upset, as everyone else slowly let down their guard, and she waited for it all to fall apart.

“Raven!” called the Evil Queen. Apple watched through the strange mirror screen as Raven paused in the hallway, looking back at Apple’s body. Apple swallowed hard at the look on Raven’s face. Tight eyes and a tighter smile. A tiredness that made Apple want to reach out and hug her. But she dared not voice such thoughts in the Evil Queen’s prison for fear of what she’d do to Raven.

“Hey, Apple,” said Raven, and Apple missed the way Raven used to say her name. It used to be lilting and sweet, like it was her favourite word. Now it was tight and strained, as though she could just barely force herself to say it. “What do you need?”

“I was hoping you could help me out with a little magic,” said the Evil Queen. There was a sugar-y sweetness to her voice that shifted Apple’s intonations, and Apple knew that Raven heard it. Could see it in the pull of her jaw and the narrowing of her eyes.

_Please Raven,_ she thought. _Please figure it out._ But of course she didn’t. Of course she just smiled and held up her hands, purple glow already starting to spread. It was dimmer than usual, though Apple wasn’t sure why, and she watched as the Evil Queen looped arms with Raven and carted them off to the castleteria.

Most of the students were gathered there, but that tended to be the case. They were still trapped at the school, after all. Still unable to make any progress in getting rid of the vines or getting away from the school. Whenever anyone tried, they were attacked by sentient plants and monstrous shadows, forced back toward the school. And with communications cut off from the outside world, only Maddie had been able to send messages through her own strange methods.

“I still don’t understand why all this is happening,” said Raven as she and the Evil Queen walked. “I mean, if my mother is gone, then why hasn’t everything else disappeared?”

“I have no idea, Raven,” said the Evil Queen. She released Raven as they stepped further into the castleteria. Apple watched through her controlled eyes from her spot on the prison couch. She saw Maddie talking to the other Wonderlanders, who all looked rather worried. She saw Rosabella and Nina Thumbell talking to Daring and Dexter in one corner. There was an entire table made up of Darling, Briar, Cedar, and Blondie, with Ashlynn and Hunter curled together at one end.

“So, what did you need?” asked Raven.

“Well,” said the Evil Queen. “I was wondering if you knew a spell that would let us see past the vines. You know, for scouting.”

Raven narrowed her eyes. “Scouting?” she echoed.

“Yeah,” said the Evil Queen.

Apple snorted. “Oh, you really have no idea how I think, do you?” asked Apple. She leaned back on the couch and watched the scene unfold.

“I have it figured out just fine,” said the Evil Queen, appearing next to Apple.

“Why do you care about scouting?” asked Raven, eyes narrowed on the screen.

“See?” said Apple. She hugged herself and looked up at the Evil Queen, who scowled. “She’s going to figure it out.”

The Evil Queen bared her teeth, purple magic flickering around her. It was darker and colder than Raven’s magic, and danced around her as though it consumed her. Not like Raven’s magic, which was so carefully controlled and worn like a cape, rather than a cloak.

“What do you propose I do?” she asked.

Apple took a deep breath and hoped the Evil Queen wouldn’t try and obliterate her for this next statement. “Let me take control of this part,” said Apple. “I’ll convince her that you’re me.”

“How do I know you won’t betray me?” asked the Evil Queen with narrowed eyes.

_You don’t._

“What do I stand to gain from it?” asked Apple. She stared at the screen. At the way everything was moving so slowly that only a second had passed since Raven had asked her question. “You could just destroy me, and you’re already controlling keeping people in the school. It’s fairy impossible for me to do anything.”

“Fair enough,” said the Evil Queen. “One time.”

And then Apple was blinking and standing in the castleteria. She took one look at Raven, a bright smile pulling across her face, and saw the way Raven narrowed her eyes.

“Apple?” she asked.

“Raven,” said Apple. “You’re right silly, I don’t care about scouting.” She giggled. “I just wanted to make sure we could keep everyone fairy safe in here. Your magic is just spelltacular and I know that between the two of us, we can keep everyone safe.”

Raven’s shoulders dropped and a soft smile spread across her face. “Right, of course.” She bit her lip. “You’re feeling better, then? You were acting fairy weird for a couple days, Apple.”

Apple shrugged, waving it off with one hand. “Oh, you know, just trying to recoup.” She smiled and reached out, tangling her fingers with Raven’s. “I feel much better now.”

Glancing down at Apple’s hands, Raven smiled, then looked back up, meeting Raven’s gaze. “I’m glad.”

“Well, isn’t that interesting?” murmured the Evil Queen. Apple turned and was in the endless void of the prison again, standing in the living space. “You two really _are_ close.”

Apple narrowed her eyes. “She’s my friend. I’m not going to hurt her feelings just to be rude.”

The Evil Queen raised one eyebrow at her. “Really? That’s the only reason?”

“Yes,” said Apple, through gritted teeth.

But the smile the Evil Queen wore betrayed exactly what she was thinking.

* * *

 

Two more days passed. Apple was given control over her voice and her interactions with others, provided she didn’t alert them to her situation and that she always got the message through that the Evil Queen wanted.

It was as Apple did this that she started to realize something – most of the Evil Queen’s magic worked through mirrors, and she was putting a curse on every single mirror she came across.

“Why?” asked Apple, when she realized this.

“Mirrors were my prison, so now I’ll make them everyone else’s,” the Evil Queen had replied. And, as much as Apple hated the situation, and hated to agree with the Evil Queen, that made perfect sense to her. It was part of why she treasured her name, despite it being the thing that had once been her curse. To take control of the very thing meant to destroy you was to take control of your fate and to prevent yourself from being destroyed.

Looking back, Apple realized, she’d been closer to Rebel than Royal for a long, long time with that attitude.

Even as Apple was told not to alert people to her situation, she tried to leave clues. Little things that the Evil Queen wouldn’t recognize. A misplaced hairbrush here, a tightness on a word there, a pleading look in her eyes that the Evil Queen couldn’t see, because the mirror that showed the world from that internal prison looked through those eyes.

But nothing worked. Not Raven, nor Briar, nor Maddie understood what was going on – and if Maddie’s words were true, the strange narrators that she had once heard had gone silent, which seemed to have terrified all of the Wonderlanders.

“You’re trapped in here, Apple,” said the Evil Queen, stroking her face “You’ll never escape.”

Apple pulled back from her touch and glared up at her. “I will,” she said. “Someday I will stop you, and I will get free. Nothing you can say will change that.”

“Foolish child,” murmured the Evil Queen. But before either one of them could continue, the door to the dorm room opened and Raven entered, wearing her pyjamas. She smiled at Apple, which Apple watched from the screen.

“Hey, Apple, how’s it going?” asked Raven.

“Show time,” said the Evil Queen. She gripped Apple’s shoulders tightly and hissed in her ear. “Don’t mess this up.”

Apple swallowed hard. A moment later, she was blinking in the dorm room, looking at Raven two feet in front of her.

“Fine, Raven,” said Apple. “Just tired. It’s been a long week.”

“It has,” said Raven. She passed Apple and picked up the misplaced brush. Apple saw the slight frown on Raven’s face and fought a sigh. She didn’t get it. No one got it. No one understood what she was trying to say without saying it and she was starting to wonder if anyone ever would.

She needed something bigger.

Without conscious thought, Apple’s gaze turned to the standing mirror next to her bed. The mirror that Raven had once put back together for her. The mirror that she protected with everything she had when the world started to fall apart.

She bit her lip.

“Apple,” whispered the Evil Queen in her ear. “Ask her.”

Apple swallowed hard, nodding inside the prison, and sat down on the edge of her bed. “Raven?” she asked.

“What’s up?” asked Raven. From this angle, Apple could see that Raven was looking at her through the vanity mirror.

“Do you have any idea how to take down the vines?” asked Apple. “They’re not exactly spelltacular and I’m worried they’re causing more damage to the Enchanted Forest.” She hugged herself. Her gaze followed the brush as it was set down.

_She could do this._

Raven hummed and turned around, tapping her chin and leaning against the vanity. Apple stood and crossed the room to Raven, making sure not to acknowledge the brush as she did.

“You know, I think I have something,” said Raven.

“Yeah?” asked Apple. Her fingers wrapped around the brush handle and she lifted it up, pretending to go to brush her hair.

“Well...” Before Raven could finish, Apple clenched the brush, spun around, and threw it straight at the standing magic mirror. It exploded in a shower of glass and magic.

“Apple!” called Raven.

She was already back in the mental prison, surrounded by endless void and the Evil Queen’s snarling face.

“It’s nothing,” said the Evil Queen to Raven. Her voice was tight and terrified. She gripped the sides of Apple’s head outside the prison. “I thought I saw something. I need to take a walk to cool off…” With that, the Evil Queen turned and walked out of the dorm room, marching down the hall and toward the back of the school.

“Insolent child!” snarled the Evil Queen at Apple. Apple cowered back. “I gave you freedom. I gave you choice! I let you spend time with your precious _Raven Queen.”_ Apple flinched hard at the words, fear tight in the pit of her stomach. “But you were nothing but ungrateful.”

Up the stairs and into the attic. The mirror that the Evil Queen had once been imprisoned in loomed close.

“No,” whimpered Apple.

“I was kind,” said the Evil Queen, her voice a hiss. “I was forgiving. I allowed you to spend time in your head. To see what I was doing. To talk to your friends. To _live._ But now…” She raised one hand and the mirror turned to a void, swirling black and purple in front of Apple’s body.

“Now, you’re going to see what it’s like to truly be trapped,” said the Evil Queen. She reached one hand forward, half an inch from the glass. With a jerk, Apple was standing in front of the glass, but she couldn’t control her body.

Instead, she was forced to watch with growing horror as the Evil Queen reached her hand forward and touched the swirling purple glass.

Apple fell. She fell and fell through darkness and fog and purple mist. She fell through mirrors and she fell through memories. And when she landed, she was sitting in the mirror prison, staring up at the Evil Queen’s face in one of the mirrors. All around her, other mirrors showed different locations in the school. Students, faculty, classrooms, buildings. All around her, all close by, but also impossibly far away.

“You will stay here forever,” said the Evil Queen. “And I will be free to rule Ever After without _anyone_ to stand in my way.”

Apple ran forward at the mirror, but the Evil Queen was gone. She slammed her hand against the swirling purple and black void of the glass. “No!” she screamed, beating on the glass until her hands hurt. “No, no, no.”

She slumped to the ground, breaths sharp and fast. Her head spun. Her heart beat fast enough to hurt. She curled in on herself, head in her hands. “No, no, no, no, no.” Her words grew softer, breathier, as the mirrors spun lazily around her.

For the first time in as long as she could remember, Apple White was well and truly alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	10. Widerhall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, an update. Found it in my drafts. Hoping feedback sparks my enthusiasm for this fic again. Cheers!

Three days passed. Perhaps it was more, perhaps it was less. In the mirror prison, time had little meaning. Apple had no need to eat, or sleep, or drink. Instead she drifted, somewhere between dead and alive, from mirror to mirror, looking out on the school through a veil of shadow and purple that threatened to swallow her whole.

From time to time, she saw the Evil Queen through those mirrors. Saw the way she almost, but not quite, mimicked Apple’s intonations and body language. Saw the way she almost, but not quite, convinced everyone that nothing was wrong, that she _was_ Apple White, and that everything was fine.

Raven didn’t look convinced. That was Apple’s saving grace. There was something off in the way Raven smiled to this not-Apple. Something off in the way she shrugged her off and started to drift away, closer to Maddie.

Speaking of Maddie, Apple had seen the way Maddie studied the mirrors that Apple looked through. The way her eyes had narrowed and her lips had pursed. Apple was tempted to reach out. To touch the glass and call out to Maddie. If anyone in this cursed school could hear her, it would be Maddie. Hadn’t she said she could hear the narrators, whoever they were, a hundred times before?

But Apple dared not drift too close to the glass, for fear of alerting the Evil Queen to what she was doing. Every solid mirror in the school had been enchanted by the Evil Queen, and Apple knew there was no way to contact those beyond her prison without going through out of those enchanted mirrors.

So instead, she waited. She watched and she waited and she tried not to be upset. It was a losing battle, as so many things were. It was a losing battle, because Apple knew she could only hold out so long. She had broken before, which was what had gotten her here in the first place, and surely she would break again.

All Apple wanted was to save the day, to be the hero, and maybe, just maybe, get the girl.

_Raven._

But it had been fruitless, and instead her efforts had landed her in this cursed prison.

If nothing else, it gave her time to think.

So she thought. She thought about school, and Legacy Day, and Thronecoming, and Wonderland. She thought about Raven and the Rebels, about herself and the Royals. She thought about everything that had happened since she started school.

It took a long while, all this thinking, but it passed the time easily enough. As she drifted between mirrors, watched students go by, and worked toward finding a way out, she thought about it. About how she and Raven had gotten closer and closer, until they seemed to be the only two in a room when they were together.

And maybe, thought Apple quietly, just maybe, her feelings toward Raven weren’t so ambiguous or untidy. Maybe they were there, and had been all along, and she just hadn’t ever had a chance to think about them properly before.

Maybe she’d just always been too scared of changing the status quo.

But the status quo, and the Storybook of Legends, was gone. Ever After High had changed. _She_ had changed. For the better.

Not that any of it mattered anymore, seeing as she was stuck in this stupid mirror prison.

Apple sighed.

Three days in this prison and she had been alone with her thoughts the entire time. Three days in this prison and she had no idea what to do. Three days of watching and searching and looking, but nothing seemed to work.

She didn’t know how to get out.

Apple walked through the mirror prison, her gaze on the dozens of mirrors all around her that showed off Ever After High. In one screen, she could see Maddie talking to Briar and Rosabella, who were giggling quietly as they worked to clean up one corner of the school. On another mirror, she saw Lizzie and Daring talking, heads bent close together. When they laughed quietly, Apple saw the way their eyes softened to one another.

_Oh._

So, they had found someone then. Maybe Daring wasn’t as alone as Apple thought. Maybe he didn’t need her, just as she didn’t need him. She found the thought comforting, as she kept walking.

Ramona and Cerise were bent close together with Mr. Badwolf as they worked at clearing logs. When he threw his arms around them both and said, “my girls,” Apple felt herself tear up.

No wonder Cerise hated Royals so much. No wonder she was so scared of the world.

Apple swallowed hard and wiped at her eyes. She’d have to apologize to them both, once she got out of here. If she got out of here.

More footsteps, more pacing, more sighing, more sights. Ashlynn and Hunter. Jillian and Nina. Darling and Dexter. Pairs and trios and families and friends, all working toward fixing the school and fixing the forest and fixing everything. It didn’t change that they were still trapped at Ever After, nor did it change that they couldn’t contact the outside world. But it seemed to have changed the relationships within the school. Everyone putting their differences aside to work for the betterment of the whole.

Apple smiled despite her predicament. It was good to see the school working together. It was good to see everyone as a team.

Out of the corner of her eye, Apple saw a light. She turned, frowning, as another mirror flickered into existence from the outside in. Cracked and spiralling before forming whole. She took a step back from it, half convinced that the Evil Queen was about to walk into the prison, but even as she did Apple noticed something different about the mirror.

The rim. The frame. It was… lighter. Brighter. While all the other mirrors had ornate carved frames or dark purple pulsing frames, this one had a light purple frame that seemed a tad more inviting.

It took Apple a second, but she realized where she recognized the colour from.

_Raven._

With shaking fingers and wide eyes, Apple stumbled up to the mirror, hesitating a foot away from it. The mirror pulsed slowly, rhythmically. It was a heartbeat, Apple realized. And the slow, steady thrum of that heart, coupled with the colouring of the magic, meant that the heartbeat could only belong to one person in all of Ever After.

As if sensing her thoughts, the purple surface of the mirror shimmered and glittered, before the colour faded out entirely. In its place was a smooth reflection of Apple and Raven’s bedroom, peering out from a spot next to Apple’s bed. Apple gave a sharp gasp and stepped back, eyes wide.

She knew this mirror. It was the one she’d broken when she’d thrown the brush. Breaking the mirror must have broken the Evil Queen’s spell on it. But why had it reformed?

A soft sigh came through the mirror, frustrated and sad all at once. “Finally got it.” The voice belonged to Raven, who came into full view for but a moment. Then she was crossing the visible space and sitting on her bed, hugging herself tightly just inside Apple’s vision.

“Oh, Raven,” whispered Apple. She winced, entire body tense, as Raven began to quietly cry. Apple reached out toward the mirror, as if to comfort her, but she stopped short, hand drawing back to curl against her chest. “I’m so sorry.”

She sat down in front of the mirror, hugging her legs to her chest, and watched Raven cry into her hands, unable to do anything at all.

For two days, she watched Raven in that mirror, and then in any other mirror she could track Raven through. For two days, she let her fingers rest against the pale purple magic, so different from the sinister deep purple of the Evil Queen.

For two days, Apple sat and watched and followed in silence, unable to communicate, unable to warn, unable to comfort. All she could do was watch. Watch as Raven was harassed by the Evil Queen without even knowing. Watch as the school’s magic was slowly drained away so that the Evil Queen could take over the school without anyone the wiser.

It was almost midnight on the second day when something changed.

The Evil Queen was out for the night. Apple had watched her transform from a poor imitation of Apple White – having given up Apple’s actual body to throw Apple into the mirror prison – into a raven before leaping out a window and taking flight into the strange, purple tinted night.

In Apple and Raven’s dorm room, Raven was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. She stared at Apple’s empty bed over her knees, frowning tightly, and Apple watched from her own sitting position in front of the mirror. She sat on her legs, hands on her lap, and reached out toward the glass again, but pulled up just short.

“I just don’t get it, Nevermore,” murmured Raven to the small dragon that sat at her feet. “What is she doing? Why is she being so mean to me?” Raven sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “I didn’t ask her to return my feelings. I didn’t pressure her into anything, did I?”

Nevermore crooned at her, soft and morose. Apple felt tears gather in her eyes.

“Oh, Raven,” whispered Apple. “I could never be mad at you.”

Raven went rigid. Apple blinked and leaned closer to the mirror, reaching out toward it.

No. She couldn’t have. …Could she?

“Raven?” whispered Apple again.

Raven’s gaze went to the mirror, tears still prickling their beautiful purple hue. She slid off the bed, over Nevermore, and crawled toward the mirror, staring at it in disbelief. Her lip trembled. Her shoulders shuddered. Her eyes were wide and terrified even as they shined with tears.

“Apple?”

Apple let her fingers brush the mirror. The surface rippled and shimmered, showing Apple’s haggard reflection for but a moment. “Raven?”

A soft laugh as Raven’s lips pulled into a trembling smile. “It _is_ you.” She stopped in front of the mirror and rested her hand where Apple’s was. Apple couldn’t feel it, but she saw the mirror ripple again. “Where have you been? What’s going on?” A pause. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” said Apple. “Better, now. Not spelltacular, but…” She shook her head, smiling right at Raven. Looking right into Raven’s eyes. “Ever after, I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” said Raven. “Who… what is up with you _here_ then?”

“It’s your mother.”

Raven flinched and retracted from the mirror. Apple pressed forward.

_Please don’t leave me._

“What?” Raven’s fingers came back toward the mirror, just barely touching them. “No, that’s impossible. We locked her away. I thought…”

Fairy godmother, Apple didn’t want to be the one to tell Raven this, but she had no choice. She needed to help. She needed Raven’s help.

They needed to take down the Evil Queen, together.

Apple shook her head and said, “No, she took over my body when I was knocked unconscious. She allowed me some control, but a week ago, she threw me into her mirror prison.”

“She’s been you ever since then?” asked Raven. Apple could see the dawning realization in Raven’s eyes, could hear the hesitant hope. _If it hadn’t been her, then maybe; what if; I hope._ They would have been the same thoughts that had once gone through Apple’s mind, as she’d struggled to figure it all out for herself.

Apple smiled. “We need to stop her, Raven. Together. But first, we have to get me out of here.”

Raven nodded, sharp and vigorous. “Right, right. Um, I don’t… know how.”

“Neither do I,” said Apple. She bit her lip and worried at it, thinking. There had to be a way. There just had to.

“Hey, don’t look so worried,” said Raven. “We’ll figure this out, together.”

Apple felt herself relax and smiled. “Right,” she said. “Together.”

They stayed up for most of the night, discussing things they could do and hashing out a plan. By the time the sun came up, and the Evil Queen had returned to the school in her disguise, Apple and Raven had a plan.

They only hoped it would work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


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